9 December 2025
This talk was presented by Prof. Jennifer Harding and Dr Helton Levy, both from the School of Computing and Digital Media, and was chaired by Prof. Louise Ryan, Director of the Global Diversities and Inequalities Research Centre.
Based on their publication on the British Sociological Association's journal Sociological Research Online, the researchers explored how digital communities have shaped experiences of uncertainty surrounding EU Settlement Scheme applicants.
Drawing on a year-long digital ethnography of Facebook groups, the presentation examined how applicants use online spaces for advice-seeking, emotional support, and validation. It highlighted key dynamics of digital place-making, including self-presentation, power relations, and the circulation of visual evidence such as screenshots and documents. Particular attention was given to the role of hope, anxiety, and compliance in shaping interactions.
At the end, attendees shared their experiences in the scheme and asked questions about their paper. Overall, the discussion showed how these communities both anchor reassurance and reproduce bureaucratic pressures, often reinforcing a wider sense of feeling unwanted in post-Brexit Britain.
